UFC 153 preview: Is Stephan Bonnar MMA's modern-day 'Rocky?'

Stephan Bonnar (14-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) says he feels like he’s in a movie, and you could hardly blame him.

Two months ago, he had given his manager notice that he would no longer take on any willing opponent inside the octagon, and with an 8-6 record in the UFC, big fights weren’t necessarily within reach.

He was thinking about the next chapter of his life.

This week, the 35-year-old light heavyweight has been soaking in the heady experience of fighting middleweight champion Anderson Silva (32-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC), an opponent he would have never fought were it not for the injury woes that have ravaged UFC 153 (and the rest of the promotion’s calendar). He said he feels like he’s living in movie “Rocky,” which, of course, ends in a moral victory for fictional journeyman Rocky Balboa, who hurts and then takes dominant champ Apollo Creed to the scorecards.

Most, of course, expect a far different ending to Bonnar’s movie. There will still be the same violence as on display in the fight drama, but he won’t be standing at the end. His underdog story and the prospect of a “fun fight” has provided a pleasant distraction the mismatch being put before fans.

As longtime boxing and MMA writer Kevin Iole recently told me, Bonnar fought better competition and had a more well-rounded skill set – at least relatively – than the real-life Rocky, Chuck Wepner, and shouldn’t be considered in the same league as the journeyman boxer.

Still, they share similar career setbacks to high-level competition. Bonnar’s career is one that started inside the octagon with great promise and never quite got to the next level. He is a fighter who’s considered a tough opponent but not championship material. And he is a perfect recipient for the kind of lottery-ticket fight given to Wepner, who made a dubious knockdown and TKO loss to Muhammed Ali in 1975 his claim to fame.

Wepner fought four years longer in a career that many would say should’ve been over long before Ali first evaded “The Bayonne Bleeder” and then proceeded to school him in the ring. The fictional Rocky came back and beat Creed and then returned in progressively sadder and more desperate versions of himself. Will a strong showing from Bonnar be the kind of moral victory that makes the real and fictional so compelling?

If Vitor Belfort’s near-submission of light-heavy champ Jon Jones is any indication, he just needs one bright moment to conjure a “Rocky” moment, even if it is fleeting.

Other UFC 153 main-card fights

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-7-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Dave Herman (21-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC): This heavyweight bout, which served as one of two replacement fights installed when Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch and Vitor Belfort vs. Alan Belcher were scrapped, ranks close to the headliner in relevancy. Nogueira, who returns following a rematch with Frank Mir at UFC 140 that ended in a broken arm, isn’t going to get a title shot with a win over Herman. And likewise, Herman, who was knocked out cold by Roy Nelson in his most recent bout and prior to that suffered a TKO loss to Stefan Struve, isn’t on the short list of contenders. Instead, the two compete under the category of “fun fights,” and Nogueira, whose experience and record is fathoms deeper than Herman’s, gets a chance to shine (and sell tickets) to his native Brazilian audience. Before getting his arm snapped, Nogueira put on a great display of striking and stopped the surging Brendan Schaub. The often-reckless Herman needs to reign in himself, or he could be taken out on his feet. And make no mistake, Nogueira’s jiu-jitsu works just fine, so submissions are also a danger for “Pee Wee” if the fight hits the mat.

Glover Teixeira (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Fabio Maldonado (18-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC): Light heavyweight Teixeira originally was scheduled to meet Quinton Jackson before the ex-champ withdrew due to injury. Maldonado, a heavy-handed striker who’s lost his past two outings, stepped up on short notice, and he might be well-suited to withstand Teixeira’s aggressive striking. The same might not be true on the ground. After hammering Kyle Kingsbury in his octagon debut, Teixeira leapt on “The Ultimate Fighter 7″ veteran and secured a rear-naked choke. Teixeira has finished the bulk of his opponents with his heavy hands in the first round, but for this fight, he may need to work his ground game.

Jon Fitch (23-4-1 MMA, 13-2-1 UFC) vs. Erick Silva (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC): Onetime welterweight title challenger Fitch returns for the first time since a brutal knockout loss to Johny Hendricks. Yet again, he’s put in the role of gatekeeper to the division’s upper tier. The 28-year-old Silva is an explosive striker with submission skills, but it remains to be seen how he deals with a grinding wrestler such as Fitch. At the same time, Fitch’s recent struggles with injuries create questions about his long-term viability. After seven years in the UFC, he’s fought high-level competition for longer than most and may be at his physical peak. A vintage Fitch performance would see Silva stuffed against the cage or on his back en route to a decision loss. Silva, meanwhile, is going to try to exploit any gap possible to land big strikes against the veteran.

Phil Davis (9-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) vs. Wagner Prado (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC): This is a rematch from a botched bout at UFC on FOX 4 in which an accidental eyepoke rendered Prado unable to continue. Not much was seen of Prado inside the cage with Davis, but given his resume, he’s still likely to sprawl and brawl against Davis, whose wrestling abilities will give him the edge if he takes a big shot at any point during the bout.

Demian Maia (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) vs. Rick Story (14-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC): Maia makes his second appearance as a welterweight and hopes to put together a title run against Story, who recently rebounded from a two-fight skid with a decision win over Brock Jardine. Both grapplers by trade, the fighters have developed as standup fighters, though Story is more adept at putting opponents against the cage and grinding them out. Maia, who most recently won his 170-pound debut with an injury TKO over Dong Hyun Kim, is likely to keep his distance and try to win the striking game from the outside. But he also could try to catch Story on the mat. Story’s job will be to keep the pressure on and wear out the Brazilian.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.